


Overflow

by quantum27



Series: a cup of good intentions (tron one shots) [14]
Category: Tron (Movies), Tron - All Media Types
Genre: Bipolar Disorder, Gen, Mental Health Issues, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other: See Story Notes, dubious ocean metaphors coming from someone who lives nowhere near an ocean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:54:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27144838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quantum27/pseuds/quantum27
Summary: It was one of those months. Or at least. He hoped it would only last a month. Sometimes they lasted longer.
Relationships: Alan Bradley & Kevin Flynn
Series: a cup of good intentions (tron one shots) [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1872664
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	Overflow

Flynn sighed, putting his face in his hands. It was one of those months. Or at least. He hoped it would only last a month. Sometimes they lasted longer.

They were like ocean waves really, the way they came and went. When things were Good he could walk the beach peacefully, only feet touching the edge of the foam of the waves. But sometimes he was swept from under his feet, dragged into the depths of the ocean. And the waves never stopped for anyone. And sometimes the water was nice. And other times the water was set on drowning him. 

He felt exhausted. 

“Flynn, you alright over there?” 

He looked up from his hands, eyes half-lidded. Right. He was in Alan’s office. Because that was a thing he did. Because he was a selfish, needy, jerk of a friend and- 

Well. Seems like the waves had turned bitter and cold, now. 

“I’m fine, Alan.” He replied. Tired. Tired. He felt so tired. Why was everything so  _ slow  _ now? 

“Mmmmhmmm. As if you weren’t giggling to yourself for the past fifteen minutes before-” Alan’s face scrunched up, either to pull his glasses up or because he was disgruntled, or both, “You just kinda. Stopped. Like, out of nowhere, no run down or anything.” 

“I’m  _ fine. _ ” He repeated an extra edge to his tone. Rough ocean waves. Alan wouldn’t get swept up in them like he did, no. But heaven forbid the man try and pull him out, lest he be scorned by the sea. 

“Right.” Alan raised a skeptical eyebrow, “You’ve been acting...odd recently.” 

“Define odd,  _ Bradley _ .” Alan was getting far too close to the shore, now. The rough waves were beating at the beach, the sky far too dark. 

“This past month you’ve been... _ off _ .” 

Flynn rolled his eyes. 

“I’m serious, Flynn.” 

The waves shouldn’t still be so rough. That wasn’t the right response to what Alan had just said- and yet, the waters didn’t listen. 

“Will you just. Leave it?” 

And there was that classic stubborn look. 

“ _ Flynn. _ ” 

For some reason that the single word, his name, seemed to smooth over the waters as he let out a devious little laugh. Entirely unwarranted on his part- but he had no lifevest, no tube to hold onto- And he was only ever barely treading the water. 

And the laugh didn’t exactly stop. It bubbled and brewed and kept going- And this wasn’t the right response either.

Especially considering Alan’s face. Concern. Alan was concerned. 

But he couldn’t stop. It was just funny- why was it funny? 

“Are you sick or something?” He had gotten up from his desk, walking over to him at the couch to put his wrist against Flynn’s forehead. 

“Or something!” He replied breathlessly between laughs. “I’m just- so- ha! Tired, Alan.” 

That made Alan’s eyes crinkle with those worry lines of his. He sat down beside him then. The fool- didn’t he know you didn’t go boating when there was a storm brewing? And you can’t save a man who has been chosen by the ocean. 

Eventually, Flynn couldn’t say for how exactly long, the nonsense laughter faded, and a sort of clarity came over him. If by clarity you meant Exhaustion. With a side of Apathy to go along with it. 

Concern. He should feel concern. With Alan. Alan was concerned, he had noticed the waves, and he should be concerned right along with him. But he wasn’t. He just didn’t have the energy to. 

“I’m like. Like an overflowing jar, man.” He said after a stretch of silence, “Like trying to fill the jar with tea and coffee and lemonade all the time, it just can’t fit, It Doesn't Work.” 

Too many metaphors, maybe. But none of them fit. None of them could quite Explain. 

“Alright.” Alan said, Concern still in his tone, but with a little more Certainness in there as well, “I can work with that-  _ We _ can work with that.” 

“Right now?” It would’ve been a humorous whine before, but now it was just. Tired. Tired. Tired. He was so tired. The waters were calm, now. But for how long? They never stopped.  _ They never stopped. _ Not for long, anyway. He’d go hours, or days, or months, without it happening and then- 

He was no sailor. How was he supposed to predict the oncoming tide? 

“No, we don’t have to do it right now.” Alan said. 

Thank goodness. He wasn’t sure he could take it, if so. 

“Is this…” Alan’s voice was slow, “Is this normal? I mean. I knew you were erratic but-” 

“I deal with it. It comes and goes. It’s normal for me at this point.” 

“Flynn, I hate to break it to you, but this isn’t normal- it shouldn’t be.” 

“It’s normal for _me_ , Alan.” 

Silence, then. Only Calm, still waters to tread. 

“Maybe it shouldn’t be.” 

“Mhm.” 

“There are some serious mood swings, you should be taking this seriously.”

And there it was. The dreaded words.  _ Mood Swings. _

Those two words made it sound so  _ simple. _ Like it was just back and forth, back and forth. And yes. To an extent. It was also like getting stuck in the rinse cycle of a washing machine. Round and round his moods go- An added red sock to the mix of whites. And bam! You get pink. 

He was right about the metaphors. There were too many. Swings, Oceans, Washing Machines, Whatever. 

“I do take it seriously.” He said flatly. “I’m just. I’m just, Tired, right now.” 

“Yeah. Yeah you said that before.” 

“Yeah. I guess I did.” 

**Author's Note:**

> So just a clarification, I Don't Really see Flynn actually being bipolar. I think that he can be a little wild and jumpy but not to this extent. 
> 
> This was me needing comfort and projecting, to be honest. 
> 
> It's funny because like, I've projected my anxiety stuff on plenty of characters in fanfic. but uh. Timeline speaking, the whole. Bipolar thing is relatively "new" for me. So yeah. (It was so weird learning that other people don't have it turned to 100 all the time.) And this month has been One of Those, for me so uh. Ha. 
> 
> The stuff in this fic is actually pretty calm? I've had much More Exhausting ones. Anyway. Yeah. Things do be weird. But I try and make a point of normalizing Mental Health stuff just like physical things. Like. Normalize this, thanks! So. I'm kinda desensitized to talking about my anxiety, but this is still new?? 
> 
> goodness i'm tired, i think i'll stop here. hopefully this made a little bit of sense. :D


End file.
